Technologies on the ecoDemonstrator include fuel-saving flight trajectory methods and a regenerative fuel cell that uses surplus energy — produced when the plane is cruising, for example — to break down ionized water into water and oxygen, which are then stored and used to power the plane.

The prototype plane also features improvements to wing and engine efficiency, variable area fan nozzles and active engine vibration reduction.

American Airlines loaned Boeing the next-generation 737-800 in July to serve as the test bed for these technologies, intended to increase fuel efficiency and reduce airplane noise.

Boeing outfitted the ecoDemonstrator with the technologies and test equipment and then began flight testing in Glasgow, Mont. Boeing completed the testing this month, and will return the plant to standard configuration and deliver it to American later this year.

The 2012 ecoDemonstrator is the first of several Boeing test platforms. The company plans to have one per year, with each airplane testing a new set of technologies. In 2013, a wide-bodied airplane will serve as the testbed, according to Boeing.

CLEEN is also participating in the 2013 program, providing cost-share funding for a ceramic matrix composite engine nozzle and its related flight test costs.

A year ago, Boeing delivered its first 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which the company says uses 20 percent less fuel than similarly sized planes, to All-Nippon Airways. This summer, however, a Boeing 787 experienced an engine failure during a pre-delivery taxi test in Charleston, S.C.

This is great news. Any success in achieving better fuel efficiency in the aviation industry means a lot since the reliance on it is so high. The main thing is to ensure that greater efficiency goes hand in hand with ensuring safety, which of course should always be a top priority.